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M38 Overheating

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2022 9:37 am
by redrad
While driving Jeep last Sunday, it overheated to the point of steam coming out of radiator cap relief. I shut it down, and after it cooled off I removed radiator cap to add coolant, looking down into the radiator I cannot see the tubes because of some sort of baffle. My problem may be a stuck closed thermostat, so i will remove and test, but also i need to flush all the crud in the cooling system. the real question is how to know when radiator is full if you cannot see top of the tubes. I will attempt to attach pic from my album.

http://willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules/gall ... .thumb.jpg

Well that did not work out very well

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2022 10:55 am
by keats
from the manual.


Fill the cooling system with water, or antifreeze solu- tion, of sufficient strength to protect the system against the lowest anticipated temperature, to a level approxi- mately 1 inch below the bottom of the filler neck.

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2022 7:34 pm
by redrad
Thanks for the info, Gary

Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2022 7:40 pm
by redrad
Image[/img]

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2022 8:51 am
by OKCM38CDN
IMO time for a good flush...

Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2022 7:51 pm
by Mike_B
If it were mine I'd pull the radiator and turn it upside down and flush it backwards with the garden hose. If you put it on top of a 5-gallon bucket you can catch the junk and see how bad it is. Don't pressurize the radiator, just let the water run free. so you don't split a seam.

You can also run water down the thermostat hole and back flush the block as well.

Mike B :)

Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2022 10:44 am
by redrad
Next warm day I am pulling thermostat and flushing engine and radiator,
Thanks as always for the tips

Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2022 12:56 am
by JBJeep
Lord knows, I'm no mechanic...but with every restoration I have done, cleaning/flushing/repairing or replacing the radiator is one of the first things done.
If you don't know the service history of a car and you plan on driving it, it just makes sense.